Deformities at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh

19 March, 2009Thursday

The War Remnants Museum in District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City aims to systematically study, collect, preserve and display exhibits on war crimes and the aftermath that foreign agressive forces have imposed on the Vietnamese people. It's therefore one of the places to go to appreciate the real-life effects of the Vietnam War, outside of all the Hollywood films of course.

It is also the location of a scene during the UK programme episode Top Gear: Vietnam Special, where the three presenters are displaying their proudy acquired motorbikes (apart from Jeremy Clarkson).

As expected in a war museum, albeit within quite a small space here, there are all manner of tanks, heavy artillery guns and planes parked within the grounds - great for checking out in detail, and irresistible for photo opportunities.

Inside, there are also more guns, bullets and rockets along with landmines and other items of war.

The key communicative aspects however, lie in collections of photographs that depict the horrors of war such as this american soldier carrying what's left of a Liberation Army combatant's corpse.

Vietnamese people are shown as victims being rounded up by US troops or fleeing bomb targets. One corner of the main interior exhibition covers the effect that a chemical spray called Agent Orange caused on forthcoming generations of children. The deformities are pretty horrific and there is a preserved specimen of some babies joined together.

Another building reproduces the "tiger cages" in which the South Vietnamese government housed political prisoners. Obviously, the portrayals do not look like alot of fun, showing dark, cramp conditions destined to encase inhabitants that grow thinner by the day.

The War Remnants Museum is a definite visit in Ho Chi Minh if anything because the Vietnam War had such an impact on the country that you'd be visiting.